The Australian Government has announced $8 million to support women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and entrepreneurship.
Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Greg Hunt said the Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship program will contribute to gender equality and economic growth by driving systemic change and improving career opportunities and pathways for women.
"We want to promote and support women as entrepreneurs and innovators," the Minister said.
"We know that women are still underrepresented in many STEM areas. Only one in four IT graduates and fewer than one in ten engineering graduates are women. Women occupy fewer than one in five senior researcher positions in Australian universities and research institutes, and only make up around one quarter of the STEM workforce overall."
He said the program will provide funding for eligible organisations and consortia to develop and deliver programmes that open doors for women.
Grants of up to $250,000 are now open to support outreach projects aimed at girls and women to foster interest in STEM and entrepreneurship, to develop innovation and entrepreneurial skills, and to build professional networks.
Minister Hunt said it also provides funding to identify and celebrate STEM role models in science and research, entrepreneurship and corporate leadership to inspire school-age girls and builds on other National Innovation and Science Agenda initiatives designed to support girls and women.
"The Government will provide a further $2 million over the next three years to support an expansion of the Science in Australia Gender Equity project (SAGE), led by the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering," he said.
"Over time SAGE will drive cultural change in universities and other research organisations by helping to eliminate gender bias and develop an inclusive culture. Another $2 million has been committed to a new project based on the Male Champions of Change model and aimed at STEM-based and entrepreneurial industries."
[Engineering graduates at the University of Sydney. Photo: Michele Mossop]
Leadership will be a major topic of discussion at the Australian Engineering Conference 2016 in Brisbane on November 23-25.